Aquinas, Saint Thomas

Aquinas, Saint Thomas
born 1224/25, Roccasecca, near Aquino, Terra di Lavoro, Kingdom of Sicily
died March 7, 1274, Fossanova, near Terracina, Latium, Papal States; canonized July 18, 1323; feast day January 28, formerly March 7

Foremost philosopher and theologian of the Roman Catholic church.

Born of noble parents, he studied at the University of Naples, joined the Dominicans, and taught at a Dominican school at the University of Paris. His time in Paris coincided with the arrival of Aristotelian science, newly discovered in Arabic translation; his great achievement was to integrate into Christian thought the rigours of Aristotle's philosophy, just as the early Church Fathers had integrated Plato's thought in the early Christian era. He held that reason is capable of operating within faith; while the philosopher relies solely on reason, the theologian accepts faith as his starting point and then proceeds to conclusion through the use of reason. This point of view was controversial, as was his belief in the religious value of nature, for which he argued that to detract from the perfection of creation was to detract from the creator. He was opposed by St. Bonaventure. In 1277, after his death, the masters of Paris condemned 219 propositions, 12 of them Thomas's. He was nevertheless named a Doctor of the Church in 1567 and declared the champion of orthodoxy during the modernist crisis at the end of the 19th century. A prolific writer, he produced more than 80 works, including Summa contra Gentiles (1261–64) and Summa theologica (1265–73). See also Thomism.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Aquinas,Saint Thomas — A·qui·nas (ə kwīʹnəs), Saint Thomas. 1225 1274. Italian Dominican friar, theologian, and philosopher. The most influential thinker of the medieval period, his philosophy combined Aristotelianism and elements of Neo Platonism within a context of… …   Universalium

  • Thomas Aquinas,Saint — Thomas A·qui·nas (ə kwīʹnəs), Saint. See Aquinas, Saint Thomas. * * * …   Universalium

  • Saint Thomas Aquinas — noun (Roman Catholic Church) Italian theologian and Doctor of the Church who is remembered for his attempt to reconcile faith and reason in a comprehensive theology; presented philosophical proofs of the existence of God (1225 1274) • Syn:… …   Useful english dictionary

  • Saint Thomas — or St Thomas usually refers to: *Thomas the Apostle, a Jewish Christian apostle and saint of the 1st century *Thomas Aquinas (1225 1274), the most important Catholic medieval philosopher and theologian *Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, an… …   Wikipedia

  • Thomas Aquinas, Saint — • Lengthy article on the life, writings, and influence of this philosopher, theologian, and Doctor of the Church. Called the Angelic Doctor. Died in 1274 Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006 …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Saint Thomas — noun 1. (Roman Catholic Church) Italian theologian and Doctor of the Church who is remembered for his attempt to reconcile faith and reason in a comprehensive theology; presented philosophical proofs of the existence of God (1225 1274) • Syn:… …   Useful english dictionary

  • Saint Thomas Academy — Infobox high school image caption = Saint Thomas Academy imagesize = 227px name= Saint Thomas Academy native name= latin name= motto = Ex Umbris in Veritatem (Out of Darkness into Truth) established = September 8, 1885 type = Private endowment =… …   Wikipedia

  • Saint Thomas Aquinas University — Infobox University name = Saint Thomas Aquinas University native name = Universidad Santo Tomás de Aquino latin name = motto = Facientes Veritatem (Makers of the Truth) established = June 13 1580 type = Private endowment = principal = Father José …   Wikipedia

  • Saint Thomas Aquinas Parish — Started in 1901 and completed in 1902, St. Thomas Aquinas Church is the oldest church in Palo Alto, California and is a registered historic landmark. Its distinctive carpenter Gothic style makes it a signature building for the downtown area. The… …   Wikipedia

  • Saint Thomas Aquinas High School (Hammond, Louisiana) — Infobox Secondary school name = Saint Thomas Aquinas High School established = motto = type = Private affiliation = Roman Catholic grades = students = address = 14520 Voss Drive city = Hammond state = Louisiana country = U.S.A. founder =… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”